Fruits Basket and the two who somehow got there
by Lilith Osborn
Summary: One night two friends visit a sight called fanfiction and end up in the world of Fruits Basket! How will the get home? How will they adjust to life with the Sohmas? Will they find romance? Please read and review CHAPTER 6 IS HERE!
1. Chapter 1

**Ok this is my first Fruit Basket story so please review if there is something wrong. Also I haven't read the books in a while so if there is something wrong you can tell me that too.**

**Disclaimer: I do nt own Fruits Basket**

A group of girls sat near a computer: one typing, two reading the conversation,one sitting in a chair rolling her eyes at her friends and one eating from a bowl of popcorn, imitating her friends at the computer.

"Oh, are you talking to hotness, or coolness?" said Connie with the bowl of popcorn.

"Oh they have learned their names, have they?." muttered Penny. This is pathetic. They were flirting with these boys online and when they saw the picture and didn't like them they quit talking to them. That was so rude and horrible! How could they do that!

"Oh, ask him if he plays any sports." Penny rolled her eyes. They were beingso shallow. There was typing and a pause, then giggles and more typing. Part of Penny was curious, but she knew she would roll her eyes and groan if she saw the conversation.

"Penny, don't be such a party pooper." the girl typing, Tina, turned around as if reading Penny's thoughts.

"If being a party pooper means having some decency then I will sit here and be one." Penny retorted, knowing it was sort of lame.

Hun, just chill out." said, Kelly, the girl who had asked about sports.

"What is with you guys anyway? All of the sudden you have almost no self control with flirting,it's getting to be sad."

"I have plenty of self control," said Tina evenly. "Like how I am stopping myself from letting my fist meet your face."

"Oooooo I'm so scared, you, who can't even make a fist for fear of breaking a nail, is threatening me." Penny pretended to stop her makeup from running by waving her hand frantically in front of her face, "I am so s-s-scared." she said while jumping from one foot to the other in mock fear.

"Will you shut it?" Tina yelled, marching over to where Penny was.

"What are you going to do? Slap me!" Penny dared.

At that moment the til now quiet Jill jumped in between them and held them at arm's length. "Ok you two, let's settle down before I call in the bouncers." the bouncers being her younger brothers, both of whom constantly wanted piggyback rides that not many were willing to give after the first time.

The two girls glared at eachother but went to their corners to vent on the other in the arguements going on in there minds.

An hour later Connie went to get more popcorn and saw that they were out.

"We can go get some more," offered Jill. "Who wants to come?"

"I will." said Kelly, now bored with the computer.

"Now if you two start fighting again," Jill warned "I'll have the boys come out here, to much noise will make them hyper."

The two girls rolled there eyes and had said goodbye to there friends when Penny decided to make amends.

"I apologize," she started. "I was being harsh, it just doesn't seem fair, what you guys are doing."

"It's ok, besides," she pointed out. "The guys are probably doing the same thing."

Penny knew that might be true. "Hey look at this," Tina said a minute later. "A website with stories from that anime, Fruits Basket."

Penny liked that series and moved to a chair next to Tina's to get a better look.

"Fanfiction?" Penny said. "Never heard of it."

"I was looking up Fruits Basket and found it." Tina explained. "Ooooooo this looks good." she clicked on one of the stories and read for a minutes. They read a couple of them.

"That's sad." Tina stated, "If I were Tohru I would want a hug, but if they hug her they turn into animals...then I would be like NOOOO I want my hot guy back!"

Penny almost rolled her eyes. "They're PICTURES! How can you think cartoons are HOT!"

"Because they are." Tina said defiantly.

"Have fun with your cartoon boyfriend I guess, I would prefer to have a real-"

"Oh yes," Tina mocked. "A boyfriend that likes your MIND. Good luck with that hun, the guys our age aren't lookin for a brain." Penny didn't reply, she knew Tina was right, and NO she didn't want a guy who liked her for her brain, one that wasn't a jerk would be fine...

"I mean for goodness sakes," Tina continued "Your sixteen and have like, never been kissed."

"Oh my gosh." Penny said exasperated, leaning her head on her hand. Why did Tina act like it was so important? If she found a guy she liked, then she found a guy she liked, but Tina was into the 'who has been kissed the most' and sometimes bragged about the guys she had been with. Penny didn't agree with Tina about guys.

"What's that?" asked Penny, trying to change the subject.

An advertisement had popped up onto the screen and read : Love Fruits Basket? yes or no

Tina clicked 'yes' It disappeared and another came up that said: Ever think what it would be like to be inside the books? yes or no

Tina clicked 'yes' though Penny doubted her imagination wandered to far past the boys in the book.

This one disappeared and the next window said: Wanna see what it's like? yes or no

"Um...Tina..." Penny didn't have a good feeling about this. What if it gave the computer a virus or something?

But Tina had already clicked 'yes' this time when the window disappeared the next one had a timer on it, counting down a minute.

"OH MY GOSH TINA CLOSE IT NOW!" Penny yelled. This was Jill's family's new computer. If they messed it up they would have to pay for a new one.

Tina was frantically clicking the close button to no avail.

"Control Alt Delete!' yelled Penny, lunging for the keyboard at the same time as Tina. The timer now was at thirty seconds. It didn't work, no screen popped up.

The timer was at fifteen seconds.

"PULL OUT THE PLUG!" yelled Penny. Tina dived under the desk as the clock was at ten seconds.

"Which one is it?" Tina yelled. There were so many plugs.

five, four, three

"Pull them all out!"

but the timer had hit zero

Penny felt sick. For a moment she thought it was because of what might have just happened to the computer, but she felt light headed and realised she was standing up. She went to sit down but there was no chair. Everything was dark and she felt...and then she blacked out.

**So what do you think? Please review and tell me!**


	2. Chapter 2

When Penny opened her eyes,Tina's face was in hers.

"AH!" Penny yelled and sat bolt upright, knocking Tina away.

"Calm down, calm down, it's me." Tina reassured her.

"Wh-what happened?" Though Penny knew Tina didn't know. She looked around and saw that they were in a clearing in a forest. It looked like it was a Spring afternoon and a beautiful one.

"Don't look at me," Tina brought up her hands defensively. "All I know is that it's pretty."

Under other circumstances, Penny would have laughed. It _was_ really pretty.

"Did something happen that I don't remember?" asked Penny.

"Um...if it did, I don't remember it, cuz what I remember doesn't make that much sense."

Penny looked from the wide eyes of Tina to the trees around them. That was all she remembered too. She remembered feeling sick, but she would have expected to wake up on the floor of Jill's house, not of a forest.

There was a noise behind them and they both turned to see a rabbit and a snake come into the clearing with them. Tina froze, trying not to scream. She gripped Penny's arm, moving what had been holding her up and causing her to tip over.Penny brought herself up on an elbow and saw that the rabbit and snake were now...starring at them. The rabbit was white with floppy ears and the snake was green, probably a garden snake. The rabbit was on it's back legs, nose twitching as it looked at the two girls and the snake was balance on it's tail, tongue flicking around as it looked at them. Penny thought the two of them were adorable, really. That was, until they suddenly disappeared in a cloud of smoke, making the two jump in surprise.

When the smoke cleared a man in his twenties and a boy about their age peered out from behind a tree on the edge of the clearing, not to far from where the rabbit and snake had been. They both had pleasant smiles on their faces, but Penny was still apprehensive.

The next thing Penny knew, the older man was bending down in from of her, shaking her hand. His face was uncomfortably close to hers and it looked like she was trying to lay down flat on her back, in hopes that he would walk over her and keep going.

"Hello! My name is Ayame Sohma! Nice to meet you, fine day isn't it?" Penny's mind was confused with all of the small talk and trying to figure out why this man was talkingto her like this. Meanwhile Tina was standing with the boy smiling up at her, while she gave him a confused look.

"My name is Momiji! Whats yours?"

"T-Tina." she stuttered uncertainly.

At that moment a grey haired boy came from the trees and stopped at the sight he found. Two girls about his age looking a bit frightened and confused as they were pelted with conversation.

"Ayame? Momiji?" the boy said as a father to his children, expecting them to be doing something bad.

Ayame and Momiji looked up and smiled at the new comer to the clearing.

"Hello there younger brother!" said Ayame. "We came out here for a..er--stroll and found these two young ladies and decided to stop and chat."

Yuki walked up to Ayame and the girl who was almost flat on her back. Yuki bent down and the next thing Penny knew, Yuki had stiff armed Ayame and hewas a few feet away on his back.

"Sorry about my brother," Yuki smiled kindly at Penny. "He is a bit forward."

Penny sat there, stunned for a moment before realizing she could sit up without knocking into Ayame.

"My name is Yuki." the boy continued.

"Penny." she said.

"Interesting name, are you from around here?."

"Well..." she couldn'tthink of what to say.

"We're lost." Tina said, Momiji still in front of her.

"Oh," said Yuki in surprise. "then allow me to be of some assistance." he stood up and held out his hand for Penny, who took it and brushed herself off. "Follow me," he said as they began to go through the trees. "I can take you to my house and see if you-" he stopped having noticed that Penny had halted at the meantion of his house. She didn't know these people, and though they seemed very nice...

"You don't have to worry Miss, you are safe with me." he tried to reasure her. Ayame and Momiji were standing in the trees, smiling back to the three of them.

"I think we should go with them Penny." Tina said.

Penny hesitated for a moment longer and then began to follow Yuki through the trees toward his house.

"I don't believe I have ever met anyone with names like your's before." Yuki said, trying to make conversation.

"Neither have I," Penny replied. "Well, actually, once, in a book."

"Do you like to read?"

"Yes, a lot."

"What about you, Miss Tina?" and so the conversation went until Tina began to walk besides Penny a few minutes later. Ayame and Momiji were talking loudly so no one heard the girls' conversation.

"Penny."

"Yes?"

"These people..."

"They seem nice."

"Yes but..." she kept trailing off. "Their names."

"They're...oh, like Yuki, yeah that seems strange. I wonder where we are, I mean the only place I have heard the name Yuki is in-"

"Fruits Basket." Tina finished. "All of their names are from Fruits Basket."

"Really? I guess they seemed familiar but there were so many characters in that book. I guess someone was a big fan." but Penny was puzzled. They were probably born after Fruits Basket was published. "Maybe they are nicknames."

"I...I don't think so." Tina was looking at the ground with a scowl. "Um...Yuki?" she said louder to get his attention. "Where are we exactly?"

Yuki smiled and thinking to make a joke he gave them the full address.

"Japan!" Penny yelled at the word and covered her mouth with both hands, she stopped walking and starred at Yuki and the others.

"Yes..." Yuki look worriedly at her.

Penny was breathing hard and fast..."No way this is happening...this is some sort of joke...it's a dream!" she thought suddenly and pinched herself. The three boys starred at her, did she just pinch herself?

"Is this some kind of joke!" said Penny.

"I am not sure what your talking about." said Yuki who was not sure what was going on.

"Penny," Tina said quietly. "It's ok. Really. They are really nice, remember?"

Penny knew she was right, but how would they get home? She remembered the window on the computer and the countdown it did. Then she had blacked out. How were they going to get home?

"See, we have an idea...but we aren't sure how we got here, into these woods with you."

"Maybe they have lost there memories." offered Ayame.

"Maybe you shouldn't be walking." Yuki said.

"No...I think we are fine. Maybe we can explain it better when we get to your house." Tina said. Penny was surprised at how calm she was. She would expect Tina to be like her. Tina only acted this cool when-

Penny glanced at Yuki. Ooooooooooooooooohhhh. So Tina was playing it cool for Yuki. Penny wondered how Tina could be so calm just because she wanted to impress a guy.

"Just a little bit further!" said Momiji cheerfully, now walking next to her. Penny smiled down at him. She had read some of the books but...not many. She thought she had heard of Momiji but there were probably a lot of people she was going to meet that she had heard about. She had to remember not to show that she knew things about the Sohmas since they were to have met them only now. Then she thought of the curse. I guess I should be careful though...she wondered if Tina would try to "stumble" upon the curse.

Suddenly she was out of the trees and bumped into Yuki, who turned around and smiled down at her. It was strange how his smiling eyes made up for his half smile that spread across his face.

"May I now take the pleasure," said Ayame. "to show you the Sohma household! Oh look, there's Shigure! Hi Shigure!"

Shigure, who had walked out onto the porch, turned, looked surprised to see the two girls, then smiled and waved.

"They are all so happy." Penny thought. As she saw the three boys wave back. "Atleast on the outside." she wondered if they felt happy or were just being polite.

Later, in the house.

They had met Tohru but she quickly left to cook and clean after a warm welcome. There seemed to be a lot of people staying there but they only met adorable Kisa as she helped Tohru and Kyo. Kyo walked inas they sat in the living room talking. Penny and Tina told them their names (Penny Dear and Tina Fig) and mostly listened as the family talked, joked, bantered, and laughed. Penny was sitting back up, having been doubled over in laughter, to see a young man with red hair standing on the bottom step of the staircase looking at Tina for a moment and then her.

"Penny, Tina, this is Kyo. Kyo, Ayame, Momiji and Yuki found these young ladies in the forest earlier and they are staying with us for dinner. Will you be joining us?"

"I don't think I will." he said as he walked toward the door, mumbling something about large crowds.

"He must be shy, two beautiful young ladies in his livingroom without any notice." said Ayame loudly. Tina smiled and did this blinking thing that made Penny wonder if her eyelashes ever got stuck together and then glued her eyes to her hands when she realized what he had said.

"Now now," said Shigure in mock warning "You are to old for these girls." then more seriously "Leave them to Yuki and Momiji." Momiji laughed and so did Shigure but Penny was to busy hoping her face wasn't pink and Tina leaned over toward Ayame.

"How old _are _you Ayame?" she asked. What a flirt.

"Twenty seven." he smiled. Tina's flirtatious look went to one of shock and then was back, though toned down, as Penny caught herself before laughing at Tina's expressions.

"And you?" he asked politely.

"Sixteen," she said. " So is Penny, but her birthday is soon."

"Oh really Miss. Dear?" said Yuki, smiling. "When, may I ask."

"Two weeks exactly." she half smiled.

"So that makes you a Dragon." said a voice from doorway leading to the porch.

"Hello Hatori." said Shigure evenly, givingYuki a look that only the two of them saw.

"Hello Shigure, Ayame, Momiji, Yuki, Miss Dear, Miss Fig." he bowed to the room. Penny felt uneasy. How did he know Tina and her last names?

"If I could speak with you for a moment Shigure." everyone in the room seemed to tense at his words.

"Certainly. Don't have to much fun without me!" he called as he led Hatori into another room.

"Dinnertime!" chimed Tohru as she popped into the room and back into the kitchen.

"Yay!" yelled Momiji.

The dinner was rather uneventful until Shigure and Hatori came in, eyes made questioning glances toward thembut the answer they got back was "wait until later" as Penny and Tina pretended not to notice.

Kyo walked in about halfway through dinner and stopped right behind Penny.

"Your in my spot." at first Penny looked to see who he was talking to, but when she looked up into his face she saw those red eyes looking right back.

"Oh..um, sorry." she said and started to get up.

"You may stay where you are Miss Dear." said Yuki. "He was late, he can sit somewhere else."

"There isn't anymore room." Kyo said, trying to control his temper.

"Then eat on the roof." Yuki dared Kyo to yell, to give him a reason to embarress him in front of their guests.

"No, he can have his spot back." Penny said and began to get up again.

"Why don't you two share the spot." said Shigure cheerfully while Hatori gave him a look like 'where in the world did he get that retarded idea.'

Kyo didn't make a move to sit down until "Just leave, I'm losing my appetite." said Yuki, going back to his dinner. So Kyo sat down between Penny and Momiji.There hadn't been much floor space left before soPenny pulled her knees up to her chest and tried to eat, but with difficulty. Kyo was in the same position with the same luck when their eyes met, knowing they both looked ridiculous and then they went back to trying to eat.

"So where is it you live?" Shigure asked out of curiosity. "Yuki is going to walk you two home, isn't he?"

"He offered..." said Penny.

"The thing is," said Tina, setting down her utensils "We...don't really know where that is. I would tell you that we lost our memory...but we really aren't sure." She smiled and looked up into Shigure's face which, for some reason, was not surprised."We don't remember." she shrugged.

"Well that settles it," he said. "Your staying with us." Tina smiled and gave him a long thank you while Penny wished that Kyo would stop giving her that look, it made her think he thought she was crazy. "Yes, thank you." she said.

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Penny and Tina woke up in Tohru's room.

"That's good." thought Tina. "At least I am not somewhere _else_ again. And now I can spend the entire day starring at the _gorgeous_ Yuki." she sighed and stared at the ceiling. When she had woken up more she left the room that was empty except for Penny and went down stairs to the kitchen. It looked like everyone was there except Penny and as Tina thought maybe she should go wake her up-

"Good morning Miss Fig, would you care to sit next to me?" Yuki offered. All thought of Penny was swept away as she talked with him over breakfast, feeling lucky that he had offered her a seat,and barely noticed when she came in a few minutes later.

"Good morning Miss Dear," Yuki said with a smile. "Would you like to join Miss Fig and I?" Peny was a bit crestfallen but recovered enough to enourage Penny to sit next to them. Penny took a seat on the other side of Yuki and found Tohru already putting a plate in front of her. She began to eat, answerign Yuki's questions politely and smiling at his jokes, but she was trying to keep her legs from cramping. She hadn't sat like this on the floor, this early in the morning since probably the second grade. When she had eaten plenty of food and a particularly bad crampcaught a hold of her leg, she excused herself, thanking Tohru for the delicious food, and walked out onto the patio to stretch.

It was a beautiful morning, early enough that there was still dew on leaves and grass that surrounded her, but late enough that the sun was comfortably warm on her face as she sighed. Around the house was clear of most trees sothe sun shone evenly, but she could see a little way into the forest a deer grazing as sunlight filtered through some leaves. She sat there watching it a minutes before its ears pricked up and it bounded away. Sometimes she wished she had one of those cameras people got in photography at school, well, and that she could use it since it might be more complicated.

She heard footsteps coming around the corner of the house and turned to find a black and white haired boy walking toward her. He gazed at her as he walked toward the door and smiled before going into the bustling kitchen.

A moment later Ayame and Momiji came out of the house toward a lane going through the forest. Momiji saw Penny and waved.

"See ya later Penny!"

"Where are you going?" she called.

"To the main house!" answered Ayame as he waved. Oh yeah, Penny thought, the main house, duh.

"Hello." saida voice from behind, making her jump. She turned to find Hatori standing there, looking into her eyes. He wasn't smiling, wasn't moving. it was a bit unnerving.

"Hi. My name's Penny."

"Hatori."

"So...do you live here too?" she asked, knowing it was sort of a lame attemp at conversation.

"No. I live at the main house. I just came to visit for a while. Had something to tell Shigure."

"Oh yes, I remember."

"I also have something to tell you and Miss Fig."

"Um...what?" she wanted to ask How do you know our names? but decided to go in the direction he was.

"I have come with the instructions for you and Miss Fig to stay here at the Sohma house until we can find a way to get you back home." Penny had the strange feeling that he knew how she had gotten there and doubted, as she did, that her home was in the same world as his.

"Um...alright. Thank you...we aren't under house arrest or anything, are we?"

"No." not even a smile "You will attend the school that the other children are according to how you do on the entrance exam. That will decide what grade you will be in."

"Um...Hatori?"

"Yes."

"Um...do I have to wear one of those uniforms." she had almost asked if he knew how she had gotten there.

"Yes." he said simply. " Well if you have any questions you can ask Shigure." he said, begining to walk toward the lane that Ayame and Momiji had also gone on. "And a suggestion."he turned around. Penny brought her head up and out of her thoughts for a moment to hear him say "Don't go into the kitchen right now."

Meanwhile Tohru wasn't letting go of the hug she had Tina in, telling her about all of the fun they would have at school together.


	4. Chapter 4

When Penny and Tina took the exams they were both embarrassed about the turnouts. They were called into the principal's office separately Yuki went with Tina and Kyo grudgingly went on Shigure's orders (haha, Shigure giving orders) to accompany Penny.

Tina was told she would be in the freshman class along with Momiji. She blushed furiously, knowing that she should be a sophomore with Yuki and embarrassed that she looked so dumb. Yuki gave her a kind smile and congratulated her as if her cheeks weren't the color of roses and told her how he had enjoyed his freshman year.

Penny was blushing even harder under the out right stare from Kyo when she was told she had scored high enough to be placed into the junior class. She requested to be put in the sophomore class, not wanting to go into a grade where she knew no one but also being embarrassed, wishing she had filled in some questions wrong on purpose. She hadn't because she didn't want to end up in a class lower than sophomore, where she knew more people and had been in at her school.

They got their schedules and saw that Tina had a class with Momiji and a class with Haru, the boy with the black and white hair Penny had seen. Tina had declared secretly to Penny that Haru was almost as gorgeous as Yuki and said the far off looks he got in his eyes were absolutely dreamy.

"It makes me not mind being in the freshman class as much." She said smiling.

Penny found out that she had a class with Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru, two classes with Kyo and a class with Torhu and her friend Hana-chan.

"She is really nice." Tohru said of her friend. Penny hoped that Hana liked her and didn't try to shock her or anything.

"Oooooo," said Tina when she had heard of the two classes with Kyo. "I sense romance."

"Actually it's Science and P.E." Penny retorted, thinking Tina was being stupid. "You have a class with Momiji, ooooo." She mocked.

"I also have a class with Haru. One class is lucky." She said, holding up one finger. "Two classes, are fate." Penny rolled her eyes at her boy crazy friend who would think it was "fate" if her hair was frizzy. "Now I have to straighten it, and you know how boys_ love_ my hair straight. There must be someone I am going to meet today." She would say as Penny yelled at her that they were going to be late.

"And look!" Tina continued. "Chemistry!" she smiled "How can you argue with _that_?"

"Just because I don't like Science and didn't do my homework, doesn't mean it's fate! I_ chose_ not to do it." And she walked off before their meaningless conversation could continue. She was walking down the hallway of the school now, having just been in the girls' bathroom talking with Tina, when she rounded a corner and bumped into someone and fell backwards onto the floor.

"Oof." was the noise she made as she landed. She looked up to see Kyo starring at her, wide eyed. "Are you ok?" she asked him, thinking something was wrong from the look on his face.

"What did you say your name was again." Well that was a weird question.

"Penny Dear." She said, trying to figure out what the look on his face was for.

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but stood up and began to brush himself off. "Watch where your goin' next time."

Penny was surprised at the rudeness after the way the Sohmas seemed to carry on so politely all the time. "I-" but he had started walking off. She ran after him "Who do you think you are, talking like that?"

"Who do you think you are walking into my house and taking my seat?"

"Don't tell me your still sore about that! What are you, five?" She wasn't sure why she was acting like this. She guessed that she didn't take rudeness well.

"If I'm five then you must be two, your smart, why don't you grow up."

"That was one of the stupidest things I have ever heard."

He stopped walking and yelled. "If you're so much smarter than I am, why are you in two of my classes!"

"Maybe they mislabeled my schedule and it's supposed to say 'Babysit in the Nursery' I would take that over Chemistry with you!"

"So you would rather change my diaper than have to do homework eh?" he laughed at her horrified expression. "Trust me, you would rather change diapers all day than take that class." He was laughing still. This had taken a strange turn. What was this guy doing? One minute they are fighting and the next they are joking around?

"Yeah, I took it last year too." Said Penny softly out of confusion.

"Me too, I don't know about you but they're a lot of things I would rather do than homework."

"Just because I score high on some test doesn't mean I love school."

"Oh yes, I thought you looked so proud when he announced your score in there." he said sarcastically. They were walking down the hall now.

She nearly blushed realizing that he had noticed. What was with her? She almost never blushed. Tina on the other hand, always blushed, but this was Penny! Stupid Kyo. She blamed him.

"Here." Kyo stopped walking in front of a door as if they had been coming here all along. "It's where you get your uniforms." He said as though answering her question. There was noise coming from inside and as they both looked at the door there was a scream and the doors burst open to show Tohru, red cheeked and out of breath.

"Um...uh...Tina..."

"Oh crap." said Penny, turning to run.

"PENNY!" Tina ran out the door and grabbed her arm. "They have the _cutest_ stuff in here! You just have to see! There are all these clothes that you need to try of" she kept talking as she pulled the resigned Penny, who was near tears, into the room.

"I was so close to getting away." She thought as she saw Kyo laughing as Tohru closed the door.

Ten minutes later

"Oooo, I wanna see!" Tina was jumping up and down outside of a changing room that Penny had locked herself into.

"No way! I look ridiculous! Tina, have you taken your medicine today?"

"Oh Tina!" said Tohru, not catching the sarcasm and thinking something was wrong.

"I'm fine, now if you don't come out I'm coming in!"

"I'd like to see you try Cruela De'vil!"

At that moment Tohru and Tina's attention was directed to a noise behind them. When they turned around they saw a little cat with orange and black stripes.

"Ki...tty, kitty, aw how cute." Said Tohru, catching herself before calling Kisa by her name.

"What? What's going on?" asked Penny.

"If you come out, you can see."

"Nice try!"

Tohru scurried over to the large cat that was Kisa and picked it up, pretending it was lost.

"Aw, can I help kitty find its home?" she asked it rather robotically.

Tina gave her a strange look as she ran off. There was a puff of smoke and Tohru came back a few moments later.

"Look you guys! Kisa's here!" Kisa was following her in a school uniform.

"I didn't hear the door open, aren't there only two?" said Penny.

"Yeah, I didn't see her come in." Tina looked at the uniform "And isn't she in Junior high?"

"Oh, no," said Tohru nervously. "There is another door over...there." She pointed to a random spot in the gym that could not be seen because of lockers in the way. "She came to...uh...model! She came to model for us." She nudged Kisa, trying to get her to pretend with her but Kisa just stood there.

"I don't see what your problem is, Penny" said Tina to the dressing room diva. "The uniform is adorable

"This," Penny slammed open the door to the room she was in, revealing her in the school's uniform. "Is NOT adorable. Maybe on Kisa, it is adorable, Kisa is adorable in the first place," she smiled at Kisa and then set her blue eyes to glare at Tina. "This uniform on someone my age is...it's..." she couldn't find the right words.

"Oh don't worry, we'll make some adjustments and you will look stunning. It looks good with your black hair." Tina assured. What a liar, thought Penny.

"Ha! Good luck, see if I let you anywhere near my clothes." Penny crossed her arms and mumbled "You would probably turn all of my clothes PINK if you got the chance."

"All we have to do hun, is.." Tina walked up to Penny, hands extended toward her skirt.

"AH! Don't come near me! Don't touch me! AH!" she slapped Tina's hands frantically as she altered the skirt to go from knee length to six inches shorter.

"There!" Tina stood back to look at her work and the girl who was trying to cover her legs up again.

"It's bad enough I have to wear a skirt every day!" Penny was yelling as the skirt wouldn't go back to her knee. "But I don't want to be dressed like... I'm looking for attention or something." She said, remembering Kisa was there.

"Well you do want attention." Tina said as though it was a fact. "You want Kyo to think you're hot, don't you?"

"NO!"

"You like Kyo?" asked Tohru, surprised.

"No!"

"Yes, I think it is fate that they be together."

"You think it's fate when your alphabet soup needs extra time heating up!"

"Oh wait, Tohru," Tina turned to her with a shocked look on her face as Penny tried and failed to lengthen her skirt again. "You don't have a claim on him, do you?"

"What? Oh, no no no no no. He's all your's" she smiled. There was a noise at the door as someone entered

"I DON'T WANT KYO!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

And of course, you can imagine who was there when she turned around. Penny nearly screamed (she let out a squeak instead) when she saw Kyo standing there, slightly shocked at the sight of Kisa, who was supposed to be at the house, Tohru giggling, Tina, who smiled flicked her brown hair over her shoulder like she was primping, and Penny standing stock still for a moment before bending over like she was hiding and running into the dressing room to hide her short skirt and red face.

"Um...Shigure and the ra–Yuki are waiting for you." He said, nearly calling Yuki by his animal form because he was so surprised.

"Ok!" Said Tina cheerily. "A little bit longer and we'll meet you out front."

"Um, ok." He said before turning on his heels and fast walking to tell Shigure. Girls could be wierd.

"Tell you what Tina," Penny said from the dressing room. "I will get a shorter skirt, not as short as this one though, if I don't have to wear it until I am used to this school." She figured she could hide it in her closet and Tina might forget about it.

"Fine, but after you get used to the school you have to wear it when I tell you to."

"What! I won't-"

"All right hurry up, your keeping the boys waiting." Penny gave up and just mumbled, knowing she had lost. When she emerged wearing jeans and a T-shirt she realized how different she looked from the other girls. Tohru was in a skirt, Tina was in some weird fancy capri things with some weird fancy shirt and Kisa was wearing a dress. She didn't really care except that she felt like she stuck out. Shigure had given Tina and her money to get some new clothes, to Penny's dismay. She didn't like shopping in the stores that Tina liked and she didn't like having to model every piece of clothing how Tina suggested. They had stumbled upon a dress shop that Tina dragged her into, where she really did stumble and knocked into Ayame, who owned the store. Now she had a dress hanging in her closet that Tina had insisted she looked great in and Ayame had given a discount on. It wasn't that she didn't like the dress, she assured Ayame, she just didn't like that Tina was once again going to have her way with Penny's wardrobe. To this Ayame laughed and called her stubborn, shooing them both out the door for several more hours in which Penny wanted food and Tina didn't care.

Penny and Tina still hadn't let on that they knew about the curse. No one seemed to have any suspicions either, except for Kyo.

Later that night

Kyo almost _wanted_ Penny to accidentally hug him, just so he could see if he was right. When he bumped into her in the hallway, he thought he would transform, but he hit the floor as himself, no tail visible. He asked Penny what her last name was, trying to find a hint that she was a Sohma. He wasn't sure about Tina, he hadn't really talked to her, seeing as she was almost always with Ratboy. For some reason Kyo was attracted to Penny. Not the lovey dovey dating sort of attraction but the sort of attraction that happened between magnets. He couldn't believe he was describing it with something so Sciency as magnets. But they kept running into each other. She was in his seat the first night she was there, they would be coming and going from the house and pass each other way more than Kyo passed his own family members that he had been living with. They had literally bumped into each other more than once now. He would have been convinced that they were Sohmas except that he wasn't sure they had an animal form and before they came, no one seemed to know who they were, except Akito that was. Akito probably was the one who said they were to stay. How he knew that they were there, Kyo wasn't sure, but he wondered about that sometimes when he was bored on the roof at night.

He thought that Shigure knew more than he told, since he talked with Hatori the night that the girls came and the next day he announce that they would be staying with them in Tohru's bedroom.

At the thought of Tohru, Kyo's mind went on a different track. Tohru was so kind, so sweet, so innocent...the innocence had started to bug him more lately. When she didn't notice danger because of her faith in people, when she didn't understand things because she couldn't see the bad. He wasn't sure why he was thinking like this but it might have had to do with seeing girls who were nice, fun, but...were different. Tohru was...Tohru, but seeing these girls made Kyo see how innocent Tohru was to other people, not just his family. It made him not want to be around as much, didn't want to see her happy face when someone did her a common courtesy. He still had feelings for her but...sometimes he wished that she would get mad at someone. He shook his head violently while gazing up at the sk, trying to shake the thought out of his head.

It was late, the house was quiet, and tomorrow was their visitors' first day of school. He had hurried to the roof and laughed when he saw Penny's reaction when she found out it was tomorrow. She had looked shocked and when she recovered, smiled and excused herself to Tohru's room, glaring at her friend Tina as she went up the stairs, who was speaking loudly of how excited she was for school to start. She had then gone to her closet, took out a skirt and threw it out the window saying something like "Stupid Tina." Kyo remembered when he found out he was going to go to the school. He didn't like admitting it but he had thrown a fit that nearly brought down Shigure's house. Then again Kyo and Yuki did that quite a bit. They had held themselves back at the guests' courtesy but... the stupid Rat boy had something coming to him.

Kyo climbed down from the roof to go take his anger out on a tree until he got tired.


	5. Chapter 5

The first day of school dawned bright and chilly for Tohru, who was already down in the kitchen serving breakfast to Shigure. Why he was the first one up for breakfast she was not sure since he didn't have to go to school, he didn't need to be up but he assured Tohru that he was feeling fine and wanted to get some of her delicious food before everyone else ate it, to which Tohru blushed.

Yuki and Kyo awoke to an argument that was going on between Tina and Penny.

"I found your skirt, and by the way you threw the wrong one out the window, genius."

"Where are the rest of my clothes?"

"You have a skirt in your closet."

"You know I am not going to wear that one, it's as short as before."

"Of course it is as short as before, you need to get over this whole self conscience thing Penny, your nearly seventeen."

"Who are you to tell me that? What? You want me to be conceited or something?"

"Did I say that? NO. I want you to enjoy yourself-"

"Where are my clothes?"

"Look out the window."

"You...didn't..."

"Oh, but I did."

"You! How could you! Now they're dirty and there isn't enough time to clean them and-"

"You have clean clothes."

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Penny yelled, slamming open the door to Tohru's room and nearly knocking into Kyo, who had come to tell them to pipe down. Penny's face looked mad but when she looked at him as she past he saw a sadness in her eyes that confused him. It was only a skirt. Then again if someone tried to force him into a skirt, he wouldn't be too happy either. His eyes followed Penny who went into the bathroom and slammed the door, to the girl standing with her arms folded with a smug look on her face. Kyo looked at her, trying not to stare. He had thought Tina was nice...he went back to his room to get ready, shaking his head slowly from side to side in amazement. Tina was now evil in his book, her yelling would haunt his dreams.

"Is something wrong?" said a tired Yuki, rubbing his eyes while looking into Tohru's room. Kyo shut the door when Tina started to explain how she right and Penny was wrong. Evil. Ten minutes later Kyo went down stairs and had breakfast, watching in amazement as Tina practically hung on Yuki's arm as he ate. He was looking at her in a whole new way.

"Has anyone seen Penny?" asked Tohru when she noticed her spot was empty.

"She is upstairs still, she," Tina said it quietly as though she didn't want to embarrass her. "She is throwing a tantrum." Tohru looked worried but then someone asked for more food and she eagerly went to give it to them. A twinge of annoyance caught Kyou when he saw this but he tried to push it out of his mind.

When everyone began to head out the door, Kyo realized he had forgotten his jacket and went upstairs to grab it. As he shut the door to his room he heard a noise in the bathroom and wondered with shock whether Penny was still getting ready. Girls took such a long time with their make up and junk.

He knocked on the door and it opened to show Penny sitting on the closed toilet looking glum in her short sleeved shirt and shorts she wore as pajamas.

"Penny?" Kyo asked, wondering if something was wrong. She looked up in surprise and gave him an unconvincing half smile.

"Do you need to use the bathroom?" she asked, standing up.

"No...but you look like your going to be late for school."

Penny sat back down. "Don't wait up, I don't feel up to it."

"Nervous?" he asked, leaning onto the counter next to her.

"I guess..." she said truthfully, though he could tell there was something else.

"It isn't about that stupid skirt, is it?" he asked almost incredulously.

"Stupid is right." she said, pulling her legs to her, it was a chilly morning. "Stupid skirt that stupid Tina used her stupid hands to make it stupider and shorter inch by stupid inch." and then softer "It doesn't help my nerves, wearing something I am not comfortable in. I'm not her, I don't want to be her, I don't think I have ever even envied her in any way. Why does it matter to her if I am different, not a 'follower of her." she tightened her grip on her legs, black hair fanned out over her shoulders, blue eyes staring at the bathtub.

"Is there anyway to um...I don't know how to fix stuff like that...can you wear one of Tohru's?"

"There to small, and even shorter. I already tried." she smiled at him "Thanks though."

He thought to give her his jacket, she looked cold, but thought she might take it the wrong way, as most girls would. Tina would. Evil.

"So if I don't show up, will they send a group of angry people from Science to come and get me?" she joked.

"No, just an angry Shigure."

"Shigure? Angry? I haven't known him that long but is it possible for him to be mean and mad?"

"No, just whiney and worried."

"Oh, now I HAVE to go, I wouldn't want that. From now on I will probably have someone checking on me to make sure I'm coming. That'll be a nightmare."

"I'll volunteer if you promise not to take forever with your hair and make up." he said rather roughly.

" I don't wear make up thank you very much!" she said defensively. She then dropped her voice to an angry whisper. "And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell Tina that, or she'll be bugging me about that too."

"Only if you go to school."

"I would think you of all people wouldn't care."

"It wouldn't bug me except that if anyone finds out I knew you weren't coming and didn't make you, they'll get on my case about it. And besides, today is when we choose partners in Science and I would rather not have one of Prince Yuki's fan club members claiming me so that they can pump me for information. And I doubt that you would want some random guy who tells you horrible pick up lines and gawks when Tina makes you wear the 'stupid skirts.'" He almost smiled, knowing he had won.

"I doubt anyone would gawk at me." Was the only thing that she could say without sounding even stupider or like she was fishing for compliments.

"And hurry." he said as he watched her run to her room. She was out in a couple minutes and Kyou, pretending to be a critic looked her over as she tried to put on the jacket that came with it.

"It isn't _that_ short." he said, trying to look serious. Penny rolled her eyes and ran down the stairs to grab something to eat. Within ten minutes of her going into her room, Penny and Kyo were walking down the lane through the forest.

"Crap woman, you take forever." Penny punched his arm and ran through the forest, Kyo close behind yelling "That was a cheap shot!"

Meanwhile

Yuki, Tohru, and Tina had reached the town where their school was when Tina noticed a group of girls walking on the other side of the street. The girls kept glancing their way, making Tina uneasy. This was probably some of Prince Yuki's fan club. She decided to act uninterested in Yuki, though it was hard to do that when he was soooooo cute. It was then that she began to realize that knowing Yuki might cause problems at school.

Yuki noticed that Tina wasn't walking next to him, but had sped up to walk in front of Torhu and him.

"Is something wrong?" Yuki asked. He didn't notice the girls on the other side of the street, being so used to them.

"Oh, it's nothing. Hey, we aren't going to be late, are we?" she tried to change the subject.

"No," said Tohru, checking her watch. "We have a little bit."

Tina gave the fan club another glance before slowing down to walk with Yuki. Oh well, he was cute, they could deal with it, and so could she. So far school wasn't looking as bright as it had the night before...

**So what do you think? Two reviews get the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket**

School before lunch was rather uneventful, Tina enjoyed her classes except for math but even that one she enjoyed since HAru offered to tutor her, Penny enjoyed hers and she and Kyo were now lab partners for the rest of the semester. As Tina made her way threw the lunchroom toward the table with Momiji and Haru, she was stopped by four girls, each in the same uniforms she was in, shortened skirts and all except that each of them were wearing a pin that said "Prince Yuki fan club" on them.

"Excuse me." Said Tina though she had a feeling being polite wouldn't work.

"First you have to explain yourself." Said one blonde haired girl. What was she saying, they were all blonde.

"Um...explain what?" though she knew what was coming.

"How about why you are walking to school with Prince Yuki you trash!" she another girl.

Tina tried to keep her temper, hadn't the same thing happened to Tohru? Yuki liked Tohru so Tina would try to be nice like Tohru. "Well I am staying with him right now."

"WHAT?" They said in unison.

"Hello." said a girl with dark hair and dark eyes who had suddenly appeared by Tina.

"Hana-chan!" said one of the girls with fear in her voice. The girls had suddenly gone tense, as was Tina, who was wondering what was going to happen. There was a pause.

"Your waves are disturbed." Hana-chan said simply. At that the girls screamed and ran away, sounding like they were in pain.

"Um...thanks." said Tina, unsure.

"Your welcome. Tina, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Tohru mentioned you, those girls were approaching you, and your aura sticks out."

"It does?" she almost looked herself over but she remembered what an aura was and that it was invisible.

"You aren't from around here, are you."

"No, actually."

"Your aura sort of fits in with theirs." indicated the table with Haru and Momiji.

"It does?" but when she looked back from Haru and Momiji's table, no one was there and she went to sit next to Haru, knowing that Yuki was probably off somewhere being popular.

"Wow, can't wait for tomorrow's Science class," Kyo said sarcastically to Penny as they walked into the lunchroom. " I had to dive for your desk to get there before that dude." He was talking about when they had picked lab partners.

"I think he was going to the girl behind me," she said. "I think you just tripped while running away from that one girl. I don't see what was so bad about her, she wasn't ugly or anything."

"Yeah but I can't take the chance that-" he stopped, having remembered that she didn't know about the curse.

"Take the chance of what, having an admirer?"

He silently thanked Penny for having a humorous personality. "Look who's talking."

They had gotten their food and sat down with Momiji, Tina and Haru when a girl walked by and bumped into the table. Penny, who had dug her fork into the mashed potatoes, lurched forward with the bump, knocking the food off of her fork and onto Tina's shirt.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry."

"Penny! Watch what your doing!"

"I think it was an accident." said Momiji.

Penny moved her tray to the edge of the table, near the aisle that the tables created and walked around the table to try to help Tina. Tina snatched the napkin Penny was holding out of her hand and glared at her. Penny didn't say anything but backed up to where she thought her chair was and plopped down while watching to see if Tina was getting the food off of her shirt.

But Penny didn't land in her chair. She plopped down and realized she was going to land on the floor. She put her hand out to catch herself and it slammed onto a side of her tray that was sticking out into the aisle. She landed on her butt on the floor as the contents of her tray spilled on her and went flying through the air onto a boy who was about to take a bite of the meat that was on his plate. The food hit him right in the face and he froze in surprise, anger rising, thinking someone had done it on purpose. He stood up, took a handful of corn off of his plate and yelled.

"FOOD FIGHT!" as he threw the handful of corn.

People all around began to throw food. Penny, who had just stood up from the floor, was pushed to the ground by Haru, who had been sitting next to her. Food flew all around, some of it hitting them and some of it falling on others and on the floor. Within seconds the cafeteria walls, floor, ceiling, tables, and students were covered in food.

Kyo was laughing and throwing food in all directions while Momiji hid under the table and Haru led Penny toward a side door on their hands and knees. Penny kept thinking this would be easier if her skirt were longer, and felt weird to be crawling next to this guy she didn't really know. When they reached the door, Haru pushed it open and they crawled out into the hallway, where they collapsed onto there backs, out of breath. The principal and another teacher came running down the hallway toward the cafeteria. The two of them stopped and looked at the two panting teenagers and then continued on. When the food fight had been stopped, the principal announced that whoever started it needed to turn themselves in or there would be privileges taken away from the student body, starting with the cancellation of dances and stuff.

Some of the people who had been caught throwing things were taken to the principal's office, including Kyo, who had been one of the most active people in the cafeteria. Penny decided she would tell them what had happened and that it was an accident after school. Before she could get through her first class after lunch however, she was called to go and sit with the rest of the food covered students on the principal's office. Penny sat across from Kyo, who was in no mood to talk and sat until Shigure showed up.

"Hello my name is Shigure Sohma and I am the guardian of Kyo Sohma and Penny Dear."

"How are you related to them?" the woman behind the desk looked from the computer to Shigure, who she thought was quite handsome.

"I am a cousin of Kyo's and a legal guardian to both of them. I'm not related to Penny."

The information on the screen seemed to match what he said because the lady told him to get them and take them in to see the principal.

"You look nice in a suit Shigure." Penny said when she saw him, his hair combed back for once.

"Why thank you! Now you two go running out of the house late and the next thing I know I get a call saying that you started a food fight? What happened?"

"It was an accident, really! I was going to come in after school to tell them what happened but I was told to come before I got the chance too!" groaned Penny.

"And what do you have to say Kyo?" Shigure raised an eye brow.

"She's telling the truth."

"I mean about you."

"It was a lot of fun, what are they going to do, give me detention?"

"That and let's just say Tohru is going to be very bored for a while."

"What are you talking abou–WHAT! That's way harsh!" said Kyo when he realized what Shigure was putting on him.

"Don't worry, she'll do the cooking, I can't be THAT mean to her cough or us for that matter cough"

They continued to argue until they sat down and tried to sort of what had happened. Turns out someone had tattled on Penny! Penny tried to think of who had seen her and who would want to get her in trouble. Tina...

Meanwhile Kyo's mouth was hanging slightly open. It was only a shirt...

Penny was trying to explain what she had told Shigure but the principal apologetically said that they had no proof that what she said was true and that she would be detention before and after school for the next two weeks as would Kyo, and they would both be required clean the cafeteria with others who had been in the food fight.

Tina had such a shocked look on her face that the principal almost sent her to the nurse. Meanwhile Kyo had jumped up screaming

"TWO WEEKS? YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING? I'M NOT GOING TO DETENTION FOR TWO WEEKS!"

"If you refuse to serve your detention then there will be restrictions made-"

"See if I care! See if I ever come back to this school again!"

"Kyo." said Shigure in a low voice that scared Penny. She had never seen Shigure like this. "You will go to the detentions, you will help clean up."

Kyo opened his mouth to argue but stopped when he saw Shigure's glare.

This sucks, thought Penny. They have a detention BEFORE school! It was hard for her to get to school on time, how was she going to get there earlier for detention?

They were told they would begin their detention after school and were sent to the cafeteria. Both of them were still covered in food and Kyo, in a foul mood already, began to complain as they walked toward the cafeteria.

"You stink." he said in disgust.

"What!"

"You smell like rotten food." Penny looked down at herself. She had gotten the food off of her legs and wasn't wearing her jacket since it had gotten spaghetti sauce on it and her shirt was nearly all clean. Her hair was matted with something that had hit her and Haru, probably chocolate pudding. She looked over at Kyo who was covered in stains that would probably take Tohru a long time to get out. She leaned into Kyo, who, turning and realizing what she was doing, had backed up and knocked himself into lockers, not wanting to transform.

They stood there for a moment, Kyo with a horrified look on his face, pressed against the lockers as he watched Penny innocently leaning toward him, sniffing lightly. She hoped he thought she was crazy because otherwise the point of her doing this hadn't worked.

"You smell fine," she said, still sniffing. "Sort of oniony and garlicy and, sweet and..." she sniffed and got a confused look on her face, trying to figure out the last scent. "and sort of like a ca--" up until that point Kyo hadn't been sure what to do, in fear that he might transform while trying to move her, but as he realized she was going to say "cat" he grabbed her by the shoulders and moved her to one side so he could pass and continue his walk down the hallway.

Penny laughed and ran to catch up with the tense boy. When they reached the cafeteria Penny gagged at the smell. They were given buckets of soap and water with sponges and gloves and sent off to a corner to wash tables. It was a boring job since Kyo didn't seem to want to talk to her right now. She tried getting him to have a race with her to see who could clean there table fast but he just gave her a weird look and said "Tell me you aren't enjoying this!" After they were finished, they were sent off to what was their last class of the day and sat trying to massage their sore arms and take notes at the same time. When the bell rang Penny thought she heard a soft groan echoing down the halls from all of the people who had to go to detention.

Penny didn't know where the room for detention was so by the time she got instructions she was late and was assigned an extra detention. Penny sat down roughly and glared at the chalkboard for an hour and a half, not wanting to look at her Science homework. Her day was bad enough.

**Did you like it? Well in the next chapter Penny encounters Kyo in his animal form when she finds a litter of kittens! Please review! Two new reviews and I will put up the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket but I do own Penny and Tina and this story.**

When they were dismissed from detention and Penny and Kyo were making their way home, they were both still mad. Kyo had less reason to be mad but his thoughts had gone to the one thing that he loved to hate.

"Stupid rat," he thought. "He was probably in that food fight and didn't get in trouble becauses he is just so 'perfect' and spoiled."

"Stupid Tina." thought Penny, walking next to Kyo. "She probably will have some stupid reason like Oh just think of it Penny! Now you and Kyo can spend time together in detention! She thinks she can get out of this...I bet she already has everyone on her side..." Penny tried to think of some trick she could play on Tina but sighed, knowing she wouldn't do it. She just wasn't the type to look for revenge.

Penny looked up at Kyo and, shocked, stopped walking and stared at his red hair. He noticed she had stopped and turned around to see her eyes wide, searching his hair. He gave her one of those looks he gave her so often of "Crazy girl..." and realized he had heard something. His cat ears had probably stuck out and Penny had seen them. Trying to change the subject Kyo said.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" There was a noise somewhere behind Penny and she turned to see what it was.

"That." said Kyo, pointing to some bushed next to the road. They walked over to the bushes, Penny in the lead and as she began searching carefully through the leaves for what made the noise, she let out a yelp and landed back on the sidewalk. She had a small furry creature with a claw stuck on the sleeve of her long sleeve shirt.

"A kitten!" Penny gasped. She untangled the kittens claw and held it gently looking in the bush again. "Oh my gosh! Kyo, can you hold it?" she asked. Holding the first kitten out to him. Kyo took it and held it awkwardly, not sure how to hold it as Penny brought out another kitten and gave it to him and then two more that she held. The first one was orange and white striped, the second black with white spots, the third yellow and the fourth grey. Penny let out those sounds that girls made when they saw something adorable as Kyo stood trying to figure out a way to hold the moving kittens comfortably.

"Oh Kyo, if I weren't a guest at your house then I would ask if I could keep them, they are so adorable!" Kyo had not seen Penny act this way before. She usually was so against all the girly stuff that Tina did that seeing her act this way surprised him but made him think she couldn't be all that bad if she liked cats.

"I am not sure, Yuki and Shigure aren't cat people." he said grudgingly. Penny noticed his tone of voice and asked.

"What about you?"

Kyo was caught off guard. "They're...ok...I guess." then he thought about what Yuki and Shigure's reactions would be if they brought home four kittens. He smile. "Hey, maybe we should take them with us, they look old enough not to need their mom and maybe you could convince Shigure to let you keep them." To which Penny's eyes lit up. He felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that he had only offered it to watch Yuki and Shigure squirm at having to try to turn her down.

"Let's go then." said Penny walking slower than before to try to balance the now sleeping kittens in her arms. Kyo's kittens were climbing around and he walked slower to keep them from falling. When Penny saw what was happening she gently took the kittens and held them with the other two. Soon she had an armful of warm, sleeping kittens and Kyo feeling stupid for not knowing how to hold a cat of all things.

At one point as they talked Penny caught Kyo gazing at her as she stroked one of the kittens ears. She wondered if Kyo liked cats more than he let on, since his animal form was a cat, like Yuki and Shigure in the books she had read or if he didn't even like his own kind. _Or maybe even cats rejected him_, she thought sadly, the cat being the outcast of the zodiac. Could Kyo understand what they said when they meowed? Had he heard them in the bushes talking and that was why his cat ears stuck out? She wanted to ask questions but knew that she would be giving away what she knew about the curse.

Two hours later.

Penny and Kyo had gotten home, Penny had showered and changed and was now playing with the kittens on the livingroom floor when Shigure came home.

"Hi there Penny! Did you enjoy your detenti–" he stopped and froze when he saw the kittens, eyes wide. For a moment Penny forgot that he was a dog and began to explain quickly how she had found the kittens.

Meanwhile in the bathroom off of the livingroom, Kyo had finished his shower and had gotten dressed when he heard Shigure come home. He could hear muffled voices and then Penny talking quickly, probably about the kittens. Kyo stepped out of the bathroom and, pretending that he hadn't known they were talking, interrupted Penny and said.

"Hey there Shigure, so me and Penny found these kittens today and Penny wants to keep them–"

"Oh, well, I don't know about that, I mean I am really not a cat person, may have allergies to them."

Penny, who was going to tell Shigure that she didn't have to keep them before Kyo came in, knew what Kyo was doing and tried to fix what he had started.

"Oh no, I–" but one of the kittens had snatched onto her pants and when she untangled it, she couldn't help but play with it, making it chase her finger.

Shigure thought the sight cute but continued "I'm really sorry but I think Yuki may be allergic to cats."

"No," said Yuki as he walked into the room, unaware of what was going on or that Penny and the kittens were there. "I just hate them." he glared at Kyo.

"Oh, hi Yuki." Penny called from the floor, putting a shocked look on his face and a smile on Kyo's.

Kyo leaned down to pick up the kitten that was playing with the bottom of his pants. "How could you hate a face like this!" asked Kyo, stuffing the kitten into Yuki's face. Yuki, in anger and surprise, knocked Kyo's arm, sending the kitten flying through the air.

"OH!" cried Penny in fear as she jumped up as though she could catch the kitten.

As the kitten flew toward the door to a hallway that led to another part of the house, Haru walked into the doorway and paused, getting him a kitten that hit him gently on the chest. It latched onto his shirt and he put his arm under it, no emotion on his face.

"Oh Haru!" cried Penny, running over and taking the kitten from him. She placed it on the floor and it scurried off as she threw her arms around his neck in a gratful embrace.

For once, Haru looked surprised and stared at her as she came out of the hug to look up at him. Seeing his surprised look made her realize what she had just done and what had just not happened. She returned his shocked look with an even more shocked look before he grabbed her hand and began leading her out of the house. She pulled free long enough to gather the kittens and put them gently in a pouch she had left on the couch. She slung it over her shoulder, the kittens peaking their heads out of the opening, and Haru again grabbed her hand and led her into the afternoon sun with the three boys starring at them.

The three went back to arguing, Yuki and Shigure saying what Kyo had done was wrong, and mean to get Penny's hopes up like that. They all lost interest though and seperated, thinking of the two people walking through the forest with four kittens.

meanwhile

Haru held Penny's hand gently as he led her through the forest but pulled her so fast behind him that she got hit in the face with a branch. They came to a small clearing and Haru stopped and faced the confused Penny.

"What is your form." Haru said.

"My–"

"You know what I am talking about." Haru said.

"But–but I don't have a form. I'm not a Sohma."

"Do you really think I believe that? Tell me your form and your real name!"

"But you know my real name and I don't have a form! I don't know what happened back there but I am as surprised as you are."

"Where are you really from."

Penny paused. Saying that would mean she would need to tell him the whole story probably.

"I..."

"Tell me!"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because if you didn't come here telling the truth, then you probably have something to hide."

"I have things to hide, but not what you think." Why did she say that?

"Why have you come here."

"I didn't have a choice."

"Who sent you?"

"I don't know."

"Who do you think sent you?"

"I have no idea." she was speaking quieter now, realizing how little she knew about this whole thing.

"You aren't going to tell me, are you." Haru said.

"I...I don't know if I want to tell anyone." Penny was whispering now, staring at the ground.

Haru paused, studying her. "You can stay here for a while." He said finally, beginning to leave. "Someone will come for you, but for now it would be chaotic enough at the house."

"Thank you." and Haru walked off toward the house.

Penny set down the pouch with the kittens and took them out one by one. She picked up the one that Haru had caught and set it in her lap, stroking it, trying to calm it down. The other three kittens played and soon fell asleep. When the kitten in her lap (the black and white one) fell asleep, Penny placed it with its siblings and laid down, looking up at the sky.

What was going on? She wondered. She wasn't a Sohma, she wasn't a member of the zodiac, so why had this happened? She remembered her realization at how little she knew about this whole situation and a feeling of hopelessness swept over her. She felt so far from home. She curled up in a ball on her side. She was pretty sure that no matter how far she traveled, she wouldn't get back home. She lay there for a while holding back tears with some success, wondering how long she would be in Japan, when it hit her. She sat up, thinking. She was in Japan, where they spoke Japanese. She couldn't speak Japanese. How could she understand everyone when she couldn't speak Japanese? She realized that when that window on the computer brought her here, it must have done something to Tina and her. It must have given them the ability to understand other languages, or atleast one, and somehow cause her to be able to hug the Sohma's without changing them into their animal forms. Did that mean she had an animal form? Was that why Haru hadn't become a cow? She wasn't sure and wondered what her form could be, if she had one. She wondered if she was a dragon and was reminded of Hatori. The first night that she had been here, Hatori had shown up and talked to Shigure. When he told her she would be staying at Shigure's she had thought it was strange and now she wndered again what he knew. Had she been able to stay because they had somehow known she wouldn't change them into their animal forms? Probably not, how could he?

She was brought back to the forest when a noise in the bushes caught her attention. She looked up to see an orange cat looking at her. It was a handsome animal and as she put out her hand to pet it, it came closer and let her scratch it behind its ears. It came close enough and let her pick it up and put it in her lap, gently running her fingers through its fur and making it drowsy. Its head rested on her knee and she cooed to it, beginning to feel drowsy herself.

"Your such a nice kitty, are you lost? Do you have a home?"

She looked at the orange thing in her lap and smiled at it. She glanced over at the sleeping kittens and said.

"Did you come to play?" she went on talking to it this way, thinking outloud about the things that had happened that day.The cat didn't seem to mind the chatter and was slipping into sleep when Penny jumped in realization. She checked her watch and saw that she was right, it was almost time for dinner. She had been racing Kyo to dinner since that first night she had gotten there, wanting to get on his nerves by sitting in his seat. Dumb, yes, but sometimes it was so funny to watch him get mad.

Penny picked the now awake cat up and placed it on the ground. She stood up and sat down again, realizing she wasn't sure of the way back. She lay down on the grass and looked at the orange cat who was probably curious why it had been woken up and reached her hand out to it, calling it. The cat came to her just far enough where she couldn't quite touch it and lifted a paw to climb onto her stomach.

There was a puff of smoke and the prange cat was gone, a shirtless (that was all she could see) Kyo leaning over her, her hand on the side of his face and in his hair instead of scratching the cat's ears.

Kyo's Point of View.

Kyo was walking through a quiet house, Yuki having left, Haru going to the main house, and Shigure in his office. Kyo stood in the livingroom when he heard the clanking of dishes coming from the kitchen telling him Tohru was home. He walked toward the kitchen door and had almost placed his hand on it when Tohru burst out, tripping and knocking into him.

An orange cat now sat on the floor in a pile of clothes as Tina called from the kitchen. "Is everything ok Tohru?"

"I'll be there in a minutes!" Tohru said as she looked at Kyo nervously. She opened the door as Kyo, clothes in mouth, ran to find a place to transform back in the forest.

The cat ran through the bushes for a while until he dropped his clothes behind a tree and went to make sure the clearing he had found was empty. He walked out and was surprised to see Penny, who had gone off with Haru. He had half thought that Penny had gone with Haru to the main house, why had he left her here? he wondered angrily. The next thing he knew he was in Penny's lap. He cursed his cat reflexes. Sometimes he couldn't control the part of him that was cat. He sat there for a while, getting drowsy, knowing he should go. What if he transformed? Why hadn't he transformed yet? Usually it took him a minute or two, maybe less and it had been fifteen, thirty minutes since he had transformed.

Suddenly he was awake and on the ground again. He turned around and saw Penny calling him. _NO._ He thought, _I need to go._ But he was taking steps toward her no matter how he fought it. He felt himself going to climb onto her stomach. _STUPID CAT WILL YOU STOP! IF YOU TRANSFORM THIS IS GOING TO BE SO EMBARRESSING! WHAT IF SHE DOESN'T BELIEVE YOU WHEN SHE YOU TRY TO EXPLAIN! SHE IS GOING TO THINK YOU ARE SOME KIND OF PERVERT! _but he felt his paw raise to climb onto her stomach. But instead it hit the grass on the other side of her. He looked into her wide eyes, her hand in his hair, when he realized. He was looking _down_ at her. His hands were on either side of her on the grass. His _hands_.

Kyo was suddenly behind the tree with his clothes on, face on fire, knowing he would have to explain but not wanting to have to face the girl who was in the clearing a few feet away. Kyo went around the tree and saw that Penny wasn't facing him but had her arms folded and was looking the other way.

Was she mad at him? He wondered. Probably he thought as he remembered the scene and blushed again.

"Penny?" she didn't turn around. He almost reached for her shoulder but thought she might pull away, revolted. He had messed things up badly this time. "Penny I can explain."

"Don't worry, you don't need to, I should have known, it was my fault." she had turned around but wasn't meeting his eyes, her face in a furious blush.

"Did Haru--"

"No, just---I know but---don't worry about it." she was breathing strangely from her nervousness. Kyo was confused but said.

"The thing---with the cat---it was me--but---I----I didn't have---see part of me is cat and----I didn't really have--um--control over um---that um uh---part of my brain." Penny looked up, she hadn't expected this.

"It's ok, um, why don't we head back to the house?" she offered, trying to change the subject.

"Uh...sure." Penny scooped up the sleeping kittens, Kyo wanting to offer his help but not sure if she wanted him near her, she could just be trying to be nice. As they walked back toward the house, Kyo felt horrible. He knew it wasn't his fault but he still had a guilt, he could hardly bear to look at Penny, afraid he would see her uncomfortable around him or worse, afraid. Part of him said he was being stupid but he still didn't look at her until Shigure's house stood in front of them.

He turned and saw that she was making sure the kittens were ok, _Probably trying to avoid facing me _he thought. But when she looked up into his eyes, there was no sign of fear or apprehension, no look like she was in a hurry to get away from him.

"Are you ok?" she asked, worried, seeing that behind his eyes, his mind was in a storm of guilt.

_What am I think, she couldn't know that, I probably just look worried._ But he had relaxed at the sight of her normal blue eyes and she continued.

"What happened back there--"

"Penny, I'm really sorry, it wasn't my fault--"

"I know, don't worry." she smiled kindly. "I would think you would be more embarressed..." but she stopped. She had been so shocked that she had just thought he was shirtless, but she had suddenly remembered the books and looked away as a curtesy.

"Yeah, I guess." he said none of them picking up the conversation from there. "So where do you plan on putting these guys?" Kyo finally said.

"Oh! I guess...I didn't think of that, oh no! I can't take them into the house if Shigure might have allergies!"

"Shigure doesn't have allergies, we can sneak them in and he won't suspect anything."

"Can we...can we keep them in your room? Dogs have a really good sense of smell but he might not be suspicious if your room smelled of cat, even if it was stronger than usual."

"How did you..." he began. Penny got a surprised look on her face.

"I'll help but eventually you need to explain what is going on to me."

Penny got a sly smile on her face. "You'll do it anyway."

"Oh I will, will I?" Kyo said, amused.

"Of course, how could you turn down a face like this?" she leaned in closer to him, smiling. Kyo was surprised at this sudden change and for a moment thought she was going to kiss him, when suddenly a kitten face stared back at him instead of Penny.

"Be happy I'm not Yuki." he said, taking the kitten from her hands and putting it on his shoulder to balance.

Penny smiled at the picture of the two and once again wanted a camera."I'm really glad your not Yuki." Kyo raised an eyebrow and copied Penny's sly smile from before. "I mean," she said, breaking out from the gaze she had had on Kyo but making sure she didn't look like she was doing just that. "Haru isn't here to be its wall to run into."

"I can be a wall." Kyo puffed out his chest sarcastically. Penny poked his stomach hard, knocking his stomach and chest back to their normal size before she began to run toward the house, making sure not to drop the kittens in the pouch at her side. Kyo took the kitten off of his shoulder and chased after her, the kitten's head bobbing up and down.

**Please review! Knowing you like my story is so nice! Ten reviews will get a new chapter!**


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